Career and Education Opportunities for Veterinarian Technicians in Scottsdale, Arizona

There are many career and education opportunities for veterinarian technicians in the Scottsdale, Arizona area. About 1,690 people are currently employed as veterinarian technicians in Arizona. By 2016, this is expected to grow by 63% to about 2,750 people employed. This is better than the nation as a whole, where employment opportunities for veterinarian technicians are expected to grow by about 35.8%. In general, veterinarian technicians perform medical tests in a laboratory environment for use in the treatment and diagnosis of diseases in animals.

Veterinarian technicians earn about $12 hourly or $26,840 yearly on average in Arizona and about $13 hourly or $28,900 per year on average nationally. Veterinarian technicians earn less than people working in the category of Veterinary generally in Arizona and less than people in the Veterinary category nationally. People working as veterinarian technicians can fill a number of jobs, such as: surgery technician , clinical laboratory scientist, and anesthesia veterinary technician.

There are seventy-six schools of higher education in the Scottsdale area, including four within twenty-five miles of Scottsdale where you can get a degree to start your career as a veterinarian technician. Veterinarian technicians usually hold an Associate's, or other 2-year degree, so you can expect to spend about two years training to become a veterinarian technician if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Veterinarian Technician

Veterinarian Technician video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, veterinarian technicians perform medical tests in a laboratory environment for use in the treatment and diagnosis of diseases in animals. They also prepare vaccines and serums for prevention of diseases.

Veterinarian technicians observe the behavior and state of animals, and monitor their clinical symptoms. They also ready and administer medications, vaccines and treatments, as prescribed by veterinarians. Equally important, veterinarian technicians have to furnish assistance with animal euthanasia and the disposal of remains. They are often called upon to take animals into treatment areas, and assist with physical examinations by performing such duties as obtaining temperature and respiration data. They are expected to maintain instruments and machinery to insure proper working condition. Finally, veterinarian technicians administer emergency first aid.

Every day, veterinarian technicians are expected to be able to evaluate problems as they arise. They need to listen to and understand others in meetings.

It is important for veterinarian technicians to monitor medical supplies and place orders when inventory is low. They are often called upon to supervise and train veterinary students and other staff members. They also dress and suture wounds, and apply splints and other protective devices. They are sometimes expected to perform dental work such as cleaning and extracting teeth. Somewhat less frequently, veterinarian technicians are also expected to perform dental work such as cleaning and extracting teeth.

Veterinarian technicians sometimes are asked to take and design diagnostic radiographs, using x-ray equipment. They also have to be able to administer anesthesia to animals, under the direction of a veterinarian, and monitor animals' responses to anesthetics so that dosages can be adjusted And finally, they sometimes have to collect and label samples for laboratory testing or microscopic examination.

Like many other jobs, veterinarian technicians must have exceptional integrity and be reliable.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Veterinarian Technician Training

Pima Medical Institute - Mesa, AZ

Pima Medical Institute, 957 S. Dobson Road, Mesa, AZ 85202. Pima Medical Institute is a small school located in Mesa, Arizona. It is a private for-profit school with primarily 2-year programs and has 883 students. Pima Medical Institute has a less than one year program in Veterinary/Animal Health Technology/Technician & Veterinary Assistant which graduated thirty students in 2008.

Anthem College-Phoenix - Phoenix, AZ

Anthem College-Phoenix, 1515 E Indian School Road, Phoenix, AZ 85014. Anthem College-Phoenix is a small college located in Phoenix, Arizona. It is a private for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs and has 1,836 students. Anthem College-Phoenix has an associate's degree program in Veterinary/Animal Health Technology/Technician & Veterinary Assistant which graduated twelve students in 2008.

Kaplan College - Phoenix, AZ

Kaplan College, 13610 N Black Canyon Hwy, Ste 104, Phoenix, AZ 85029. Kaplan College is a small college located in Phoenix, Arizona. It is a private for-profit school with primarily 2-year programs and has 501 students. Kaplan College has an associate's degree program in Veterinary/Animal Health Technology/Technician & Veterinary Assistant which graduated forty-one students in 2008.

Apollo College-Phoenix Inc - Phoenix, AZ

Apollo College-Phoenix Inc, 8503 N 27th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85051-4063. Apollo College-Phoenix Inc is a small college located in Phoenix, Arizona. It is a private for-profit school with primarily 2-year programs. It has 3,917 students and an admission rate of 99%. Apollo College-Phoenix Inc has a one to two year program in Veterinary/Animal Health Technology/Technician & Veterinary Assistant which graduated 103 students in 2008.

CERTIFICATIONS

Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician:
The technician certification designations of ALAT, LAT, and LATG are well known and widely used throughout the varied fields of laboratory animal care.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Scottsdale, Arizona

Scottsdale, Arizona photo by Flyer84

Scottsdale is located in Maricopa County, Arizona. It has a population of over 235,371, which has grown by 16.1% in the past ten years. The cost of living index in Scottsdale, 104, is above the national average. New single-family homes in Scottsdale are priced at $633,700 on average, which is far greater than the state average. In 2008, two hundred thirty-three new homes were constructed in Scottsdale, down from six hundred eighty-nine the previous year.

The three big industries for women in Scottsdale are health care, professional, scientific, and technical services, and educational services. For men, it is professional, scientific, and technical services, finance and insurance, and accommodation and food services. The average travel time to work is about 24 minutes. More than 44.1% of Scottsdale residents have a bachelor's degree, which is higher than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 14.7%, is higher than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Scottsdale is 6.4%, which is less than Arizona's average of 9.3%.

The percentage of Scottsdale residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 39.7%, is less than the national average but more than the state average. The most common religious groups are the Catholic Church, the LDS (Mormon) Church and the Southern Baptist Convention.

Scottsdale is home to the Arabian Library and the McCormick Ranch Golf Course as well as Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt and McCormick Railroad Park. Shopping centers in the area include Los Arcos Mall, Park Scottsdale Shopping Center and Papago Plaza Shopping Center. Visitors to Scottsdale can choose from Hyatt Regency & Resorts - Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort, Doubletree Paradise Valley and Innsuites Hotel-Scottsdale for temporary stays in the area.